It Started with a Pebble
by Mysteriol
Summary: ExT. When was it that she fell for him exactly?


It Started with a Pebble 

_ExT. when was it that she fell for him exactly? _

#1: she kicks a pebble stone

She cuddled the textbooks closer in her arms as she lugged the heavy backpack across her shoulders. There were puddles of water along the street, and she carefully leapt her way across it to avoid making noisy splashes or dirtying her skirt. Momentarily, Tomoyo cast a glance up to the sky. It was blue.

A joyful spark lit in her heart at the wonderful weather for a change, and a soft smile played on her features. It was then when she looked straight, and caught sight of a small pebble in her way. Instinctively, her foot came into contact with its area, and she sent it flying half-way across the road with it.

Her eyes sub-consciously followed its movements as she trudged along the pavement. It was with the surprise that followed, as her eyes caught the motion of that pebble being stopped in its momentum abruptly.

Amethyst eyes glanced up, to reflect off against dark azure ones that shone under the microscopic sunlight.

Her heart skipped a beat.

But why? Tomoyo refused to answer that for a while, shoving that annoying thought back into her head.

All she saw then was that familiar gentle smile breaking out on the Londoner's face, as he made his way into her direction, his feet catching hold of the pebble expertly, before sending it half-way across the road into the other direction.

Her knees felt weak. She refused to contemplate on the notion of why, and how that ever was possible.

Perhaps it was his smile, perhaps it was the way he stood there looking absolutely, forbiddingly handsome. But he was _just _there. Eriol Hiiragizawa smiled up at her. Not that Cheshire cat grin he was so used to be giving Sakura or Syaoran all the times, but that soft, gentle one of his that spoke of all his mysteries.

"Good morning, Daidouji-san."

And she colored gracefully, before giving a slight nod accompanied with a matching smile, and entered the school gates.

#2: she observes him, for a change

He sat in front of her, unlike the past. Tereda-sensei had gone around with the sitting arrangement, and it bugged her seriously when it sparked off some gratifying joy within her heart.

To her utmost mortification, Tomoyo was not paying attention when the Chemistry teacher was busy translating mol language and its concepts into logical terms. She had been doodling in her Chemistry notebook, and when she pulled away, it was then she realized what she had written all over the page, scrawled messily in cursive writing:

Eriol, Eriol, Eriol, Eriol.

Flustered inwardly, and taken aback at why on earth had she chosen to write _his _name of all people when she obviously could have appropriately picked Yamazaki and Syaoran as well, Tomoyo leant forward to hastily erase the pencil scribblings in her book.

_Why Eriol? _Her heart nagged, pounding rapidly against her ribcage.

It vexed her, when she knew she had no answer for that.

At the same moment, it was when she had looked up, and watched his back. That blue hair, that set of frameless glasses that made him looked all the more intellectual, that pale skin fitting of the London gentleman, the way he was hunched diligently over his desk as he poured over his Chemistry notes.

She noticed he had a queer way of holding his pen. She scanned her eyes over his grasp, and registered his digits curled over that--

She hurriedly took to nearly burying her head wholly into her textbook.

What on earth was she thinking?

Surely not Eriol, surely not.

#3: to draw his face

"Okay, students! Turn around and draw your partner's face! Make sure you bring out the facial features, and the key points that make his or her face stand out. Don't forget about the art techniques I've taught you all!" The art teacher announced.

Tomoyo couldn't possibly turn around. She had no one behind her. That meant...

She felt light-headed and floaty for a while.

Eriol would be turning around.

And why did it matter so? Why was her mind screaming at her to do something, anything? Why was her stomach churning rolls after rolls? Why was this emotion seeping into her like a foreign, creepy feel?

She didn't know, didn't have an answer to all the above. And the truth was, it scared her.

"Daidouji-san, are you alright?" Concerned blue eyes gazed into hers, and for a moment, she felt stun into her spot. His voice was always this baritone deep, and those eyes right this moment were burning with intensity right into hers...

It was as if she could get lost in those blue orbs forever, and ever, and ever--

"I-I'm fine." She stuttered out, but managing most unglamourously. She avoided eye contact as she snatched the pencil from her table, and quickly began to sketch something, ANYTHING, on her scrapbook, all to prevent him from looking at her blushing face.

Was she, Daidouji TOmoyo, blushing?

No. No way. Not in front of Eriol, much less _because _of him.

Her heart was pounding. It scared her when she realized she dared not look up at him, not into those eyes directly.

"Daidouji-san?"

"Hai?" She did not look up, dared not to.

"Would you please look up so I can start drawing you?" He requested politely.

Half an hour, he showed her a portrait of Daidouji Tomoyo indeed, one of ravishing beauty, and she blushed scarlet.

"Is that...me?" He asked her quietly as he stared at the sketch she had drawn of him.

She nodded smally.

It was him alright: domineeringly handsome, that ever smiling face, the musician and gifted child that burnt within those eyes.

And she looked away, knowing he was shocked discreetly, because she knew he knew she had drawn the portrait magically, without ever looking up at him once.

It was as if she had memorized each and every single curve, line and detail of his face.

And it scared her.

#4: he plays the piano

Like always, the music teacher would always ask Eriol if he would like the honor of playing the background music on the piano so that the class could sing along in the lesson. Always, Eriol would modestly agree to, take his seat before the piano, and play a piece or two.

But this was the first time, that when he walked up to the grand crystalline thing, that she felt herself watching his every movement. The way he gracefully seated himself on the stool, the way he softly placed his ivory fingers over the chromatic keys, the musician that came to live as he churned out impromptus after impromptus.

"Daidouji-san?"

She awakened from her trance. "Hai?"

"Would you like to accompany Hiiragizawa-kun in a duet by singing the soprano part along with his playing?"

Surprised, her eyes flickered into his direction, as if contemplating on the idea. But when he caught her gaze, and he smiled back and nodded at her reassuringly, she felt her heart agree instantly.

"I...I don't know." She said honestly. He really was too good a pianist, too unworthy of her to actually take the stage by his side.

"I'm sure Daidouji-san wouldn't mind." Eriol was still smiling.

And her heart raced as she accepted his offer, making her way up to his side.

As she spent the next few minutes watching his fingers run up and down the scales, she realized she had not been looking away one nanosecond for fear of forgetting the way he looks when he plays the piano like it is his heart and soul.

She wished, for the first time, that she was the piano beneath his fingers.

#5: on the way home

It was raining; pouring wildly outside, as she stepped out to brave the storm without any umbrella in her hands. She had forgotten to bring one, simple as that, and her textbooks were soaked along with her uniform.

She stepped accidentally into a puddle of water, and she sighed inwardly.

Her eyes widened, catching sight of that same pebble a feet before her.

And funnily, the rain halted abruptly.

She looked up, only to see blue eyes beaming down into hers.

Her heart stopped.

It was him, that one and only Eriol Hiiragizawa, holding an umbrella in his hands, sheltering her in the rain.

"You're wet, Daidouji-san." He smiled, stating the obviously. Like a gentleman, he took her elbow, and drew her closer towards him so she could have a fair share of the shelter.

"I'm aware of that." She responded, appreciative of his gesture. The chill lifted off from her skin. She was freezing.

"Are you rushing for time?" He asked her out of the blue.

She looked at him quizzically, her hair drenched wet, slapping to her face like a tangled mess. "No, why?"

"Since my house is much nearer, maybe we should make our way there to seek shelter rather than to risk pneumonia out in this horrid weather." He offered a gallant smile, "How do you find my idea, Daidouji-san?"

She giggled quietly, albeit girlishly. One thing she loved about Eriol was the way he was always pretending to be a typical gentleman.

Her heart skidded. _Loved? _Now, THAT was scary.

"It sounds good." She replied, returning smile for smile.

Amethyst met azure blues.

The cessation of noise around her surroundings, as she took in nothing, but of him, and the salty, pine sea scent he was exuding.

And impulsively, ignoring the lurch of her heart, she did something crazy and unforgettable.

Perhaps it was the rain that was driving rationality out of her window. Perhaps it was the cold that was knocking sanity out of her brain, but there and then in the rain, she took his cold hand in her arm one, and sprinted towards his home.

The umbrella was blissfully left unforgotten onto the ground.

"Daidouji-san, the umbrella!"

"We'll come back another time to get it!"

He said nothing else, but laughed.

In her heart, a song was starting its own sweet melody.

It took her long enough, but she knew then that it was no use denying it furthur.

She had fallen for Eriol Hiiragizawa, whether she liked it or not.

**Owari**

_A/N: _

_Omgwtfbbqed. Okay, sorry for the blaphemous use of word, but I just had to try that term since everyone's using it these days. But it's the appropriate word I can only come up with after WRITING an ExT for like a gazillion years after retreating from that fandom. I must have been possessed by some monsters, or maybe they are clow cards, but whatever it is, i have no idea where i got the inspiration writing this ExT ficcie. It's crazy, I tell you, when I should be in another fandom. _

_But oh well, what's done is done, and if you'll be nice enough to drop a review, I'll offer a pair of Eriol's sexy, frameless glasses that once sat upon the bridge of his nose. Taa-daa. _

_hugs and all,_

_mysterio000_


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